


moonlight

by catspajama_llamas



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Falling In Love, Family Dynamics, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Build, shuu sings to kaneki, utapri aww yiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-29
Updated: 2015-04-29
Packaged: 2018-03-26 09:26:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3845719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catspajama_llamas/pseuds/catspajama_llamas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The moonlight breaks through the darkness<br/>The light that embraces everything<br/>Will continue to shine on you."</p>
<p>in which they grow closer, and a song is played only for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	moonlight

If asked, Hinami and Banjou would have said that Kaneki and Tsukiyama had become much closer as of late, for whatever reason. If asked, Kaneki would have shrugged it off, for this and that reason. No one would ask Tsukiyama, for many reasons.

It began after they had sparred together in that decrepit basement for a while. Kaneki began to give Tsukiyama more mercy, allowing the both of them to take recovery breaks in between their practices. Tsukiyama was the one to break the silence, and small talk began between them. At first it was only about Kaneki, his next course of action and their battling techniques, how he could improve. It went like this for a while, until they began to speak more personally, more inquisitively, curiously. Likes, dislikes, books, ideas.Their talks became deeper, in the intents of discovering what made up the landscapes of the other’s thoughts, their being.

If asked, Kaneki might have continued to play it off. Still no one would ask Tsukiyama, though were he so obliged, he wouldn’t know what to say.

The talk grew. The distances shortened, as did they physically in proximity to each other. Kaneki didn’t know why, but he found himself enjoying the time spent in the basement with Tsukiyama, who seemed to lighten up that room with just his presence alone. He found himself smiling, laughing, sharing more than he’d like with someone who he was so uncertain about. As the time went on, he came to acknowledge the truth that he’d known for a long while now, that Tsukiyama couldn’t hurt him anymore than he could ever leave him (and, he reflected, neither could he now). It scared him to admit it though, because he realized he was letting his guard down around the older man. 

He hated the idea of someone breaking down his defenses, but not as much as he did the thought of someone entering in without a second thought, with no effort at all.

If asked, he wouldn’t have said anything, but Kaneki would recognize that he and Tsukiyama weren’t too much different from each other. Tsukiyama might have been asked, to which he would have said he’d always be the dagger under Kaneki’s pillow, the knight to cut down the thorns in his path. Neither really knew what to make of their own words.

The fear grew as Kaneki discovered the beauty that was Shuu Tsukiyama. It was so much easier not to trust him, he thought as he reflected back to the first time he had met him. A model, he had thought, which is what he tried desperately not to believe as he averted his eyes. His stomach twisted as he realized he wanted to know more about Shuu, as he turned his eyes back to watch the way the man’s throat moved with every intonation, the gestures he made with every other word. He needed everything that the other was. He asked Shuu more.

_Shuu_. He had become Shuu. Not the gourmet, not Tsukiyama, but just Shuu.

He was becoming attached to the one he’d always hid himself away from, while the other only fell deeper and deeper in love, in confusion of what he really felt.

~

They branched out from that dim basement after a few weeks had passed. Kaneki started by offering Shuu the use of their shower, which would then lead to them sharing coffee together before Shuu would leave to his own apartment.

Sometimes, depending on his mood, Kaneki would offer his clothes for Shuu to wear after his showers, which were a bit tight, but neither complained.

Sometimes Kaneki noticed the delicate blush that would form on Shuu’s cheeks, the softness of his lips, the way he smelled impossibly of lilac, how gently his fingertips would brush stray hair away from his eyes. “Kaneki-kun?”, Shuu would sometimes ask, mid-conversation when he’d break Kaneki from his thoughts. He wouldn’t realize until much later those restless nights that he remembered nothing but the form of the other as he spoke.

Sometimes Hinami would join them during their late-night coffee, and she’d converse with Shuu. Kaneki saw how Shuu’s features would fold into adoration as their talk went on, and sometimes, just sometimes, he’d wish that adoration would be reflected for him, too. Of course, he was only oblivious to what Hinami witnessed when she joined the two.

Once, Hinami made a crown of flowers for the both of them. She had fashioned them out of wildflowers, but Kaneki thought they suited Shuu better. He had the wild impulse to be the one to crown him, but he was glad he stopped himself so that he could see the expression he gave Hinami when she put it onto his violet hair. The next day, Shuu brought her a bouquet and a halo of daisies entwined with baby breath. Kaneki held his breath as Shuu tucked his hair behind his ear with a rose Hinami gave him from the bouquet. His eyes flicked toward Kaneki, as he caught his eye and proceeded to do the same for him. His hand lingered a second longer on Kaneki’s cheek than necessary, his thumb softly brushing the skin.

Sometimes, only ever sometimes, he’d allow Shuu to follow him into his room after their coffee. It seemed, to both of them, that the other had been defanged, neutered, calmed. Kaneki would sit cross-legged on his bed, inviting Shuu to pick a book to read for the both of them. It was always so still in those moments as they were both so vulnerable. Shuu would smile, hiding the maelstrom he felt as he picked one, then sitting on the edge of the bed to begin reading.

Sometimes, only ever sometimes, Kaneki would shift to make room for Shuu to sit next to him.

Rarely, he would allow himself to rest his head against Shuu’s shoulder as he read aloud, their hearts quietly racing, but yet at ease despite the nerves.

Ever more rarely, they fell asleep like that, and Kaneki would wake up finding himself curled into Shuu’s side as he watched the gentle rise and fall of the other’s chest. He’d never tell him, but somehow, the nightmares weren’t as daunting on those occasions. Kaneki would stay still like that until Shuu would start to wake up, upon which he’d pretend to be asleep so he could hear the rough yet honeyed voice whispering his name to wake him up.

The fear faded.

~

One day, after both had showered, Shuu invited Kaneki to go over to his apartment. Kaneki agreed, though he didn’t know why. They left, Hinami and Banjou having fallen asleep on the couch after watching a horror film marathon together.

Even after he opened his door, Shuu never turned the lights on. There was no need to, as the apartment was flooded with moonlight from the wide, floor to ceiling windows. He walked Kaneki over to the piano tucked within the corner of the living room. Kaneki only stood as the taller sat down, staring out at the wall of windows, to the wide moon and the cityscape surrounding them. Motioning for him to sit next to him, Shuu beckoned. Kaneki, of course, obliged him. 

“There’s a certain song I’d like to play for you,” Shuu said, after a few minutes of playing Kaneki disjointed, yet still pleasant melodies. Kaneki had been focused on how his fingers barely brushed the ivory keys, how they ghosted upon them and the thought of how they would feel playing across his skin.

The symphony, the lullabies he’d create across Kaneki’s back..

He only nodded his interest in Shuu’s request.

He found it funny that he recognized the song as one from a favorite pop idol of Hinami’s. It was quaint, he thought as Shuu played out the intro, but he adored it. Adored.. He vaguely remembered that it, too, was called “Moonlight”. It was fitting.

He raised his lidded eyes to Shuu’s face, serene in his concentration. That was when their eyes met, to which Kaneki softly shuddered as Shuu began to sing. It was beautiful, heartfelt, and he was captivated by how sweet Shuu’s voice sounded, never having heard it before that moment. His eyes dilated, never leaving those of the man who had become so much to him so inexplicably. Shuu finished the song, his fingers resting upon the keys as they sat, no sounds except for the lingering remnants of his last few notes, their breathing. “Ken,” Shuu sighed, his forehead close to the other’s. They leaned into each other, as Kaneki finally closed his eyes and laid his forehead to rest upon Shuu’s.

When they got up, they couldn’t remember.

~

He was right, by the way- though the song was lovely, it couldn’t compare to the sinuous harmonies Shuu was able to caress Kaneki with.

~

Hinami noted much later the next day how Kaneki seemed to be bathed in the smell of lilac, to which he only smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PbmwZucbk8
> 
> the way I imagine Shuu to have sang and played this is much slower paced, so imagine it in that style.
> 
> translated lyrics: http://jpoptime.com/miyano-mamoru-moonlight/
> 
> Originally a headcanon between me and my friend about Shuu singing Tokiya Ichinose's songs to blushy Kaneki (specifically this song lmao) because they share the same voice actor (and we both love Mamo, BUT SHE IS CRAZY ABOUT HIM uwu I wish you all the mamo happiness in the world). 
> 
> BUT LIKE COME ON IT'S PERFECT
> 
> also can I get a hell yiss for Hinami being a huge Tokiya fan   
> (I may or may not have a separate fic for that I'm planning on AND AN ENTIRE HEADCANON lmao)


End file.
